Recently, a stone tablet engraved with "Meng Jiangnu cried down the Great Wall" has aroused widespread social attention in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. The stele is located in the prestigious "First Pass of the World" scenic area, and according to local cultural officials, it was set up to promote the cultural legends associated with Meng Jiangnu. However, the controversy caused by this move is not unfounded. The story of Meng Jiangnu crying on the Great Wall is widely known, and it is not only deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but also passed down through history for exposing the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty. But it must be admitted that Meng Jiangnu is still a legendary figure, and its authenticity is difficult to verify. This does not seem to have received enough attention at the time of the monument's erection, leading to confusion among the public about the boundaries between history and legend.
Around the world, cultural tourism is becoming more and more popular, and each region is tapping into its own historical and cultural resources to attract tourists. In this context, the legend of Meng Jiangnu is also used as a means to attract tourists. However, the local cultural authorities seem to have been too hasty in their promotion process, and did not explicitly mark the word "legend" on the inscriptions, and this vagueness is likely to mislead the public and confuse fictional legends with historical facts. This can not only lead to a misreading of history, but can also undermine the seriousness of the local culture.
In addition, at present, many places in China have a tendency to over-exploit when excavating cultural tourism resources, and some places even have a dispute for historical figures such as Zhuge Liang, Li Bai and even Meng Jiangnu to compete for their "hometown". To a certain extent, this phenomenon reflects the impetuosity of local governments in the development of cultural resources, and ignores the seriousness of culture and the authenticity of history for the sake of economic interests. This behavior may not only have a negative impact on the local cultural image, but also cause historians and cultural scholars
of criticism.
While the use of historical and cultural resources to promote tourism is a good thing, how to properly manage the boundaries between history and legend, and how to avoid over-commercialization to the detriment of cultural seriousness, is a problem that every place needs to face. The respect for history and the responsibility of cultural inheritance cannot be swayed by the market economy. Therefore, in the future development of cultural resources, all localities need to have a more professional and rigorous attitude to ensure the correct inheritance of history and the healthy development of culture.
This story is not only a question of how to deal with history and legends, but it also reflects a broader cultural phenomenon: how to maintain cultural purity and historical authenticity in the tide of globalization and market economy is a question that every cultural worker and manager needs to think about. Personal opinion, for reference only